rich.

25th. All the morning at the office. At noon home and eat a bit myself,
and then followed my wife and girls to the Duke of York's house, and there
before one, but the house infinite full, where, by and by, the King and
Court come, it being a new play, or an old one new vamped, by Shadwell,
called "The Royall Shepherdesse;" but the silliest for words and design,
and everything, that ever I saw in my whole life, there being nothing in
the world pleasing in it, but a good martial dance of pikemen, where
Harris and another do handle their pikes in a dance to admiration; but
never less satisfied with a play in my life. Thence to the office I, and
did a little business, and so home to supper with my girls, and pretty
merry, only my eyes, which continue very bad, and my cold, that I cannot
speak at all, do trouble me.

26th. Was forced to send my excuse to the Duke of York for my not
attending him with my fellows this day because of my cold, and was the
less troubled because I was thereby out of the way to offer my proposals
about Pursers till the Surveyor hath delivered his notions, which he is to
do to-day about something he has to offer relating to the Navy in general,
which I would be glad to see and peruse before I offer what I have to say.
So lay long in bed, and then up and to my office, and so to dinner, and
then, though I could not speak, yet I went with my wife and girls to the
King's playhouse, to shew them that, and there saw "The Faithfull
Shepherdesse." But, Lord! what an empty house, there not being, as I
could tell the people, so many as to make up above L10 in the whole house!
The being of a new play at the other house, I suppose, being the cause,
though it be so silly a play that I wonder how there should be enough
people to go thither two days together, and not leave more to fill this
house. The emptiness of the house took away our pleasure a great deal,